Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has published a new investigative report, this time revealing a luxurious summer home, the “Milovka manor,” frequented by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The mansion is located roughly a kilometer outside the town of Plyos, about five hours northeast of Moscow.
That Medvedev and his family are regular guests at the residence was already known, but Navalny’s group managed to record the first aerial footage ever published. According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the whole compound is 80 hectares — a whopping 40 times larger than previously reported. The summer home also has its own marina and ski slope, not to mention three helipads, a special communications tower, an outdoor board for giant chess pieces, and — apparently — a home dedicated exclusively to ducks.
The historical Milovka manor house, itself guarded by an inner security fence, is the compound’s main house. Navalny’s group estimates that restoring the manor house and developing the remainder of the complex cost as much as 30 billion rubles ($460 million).
According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation, the real estate was acquired by the “Dar” (Gift) Foundation with money (33 billion rubles, or $506 million) allocated to charity by the shareholders of the Novatek company. Researchers say this money was also used to renovate the manor house and construct the new upgrades.
The Dar Foundation, Navalny says, had close ties to Medvedev’s wife, Svetlana, and the head of the organization’s supervisory board at the time it acquired Milovka manor was Ilya Yeliseev, one of Medvedev’s former classmates.
After 2011, the compound was transferred to the Foundation for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Heritage. In other words, the home doesn’t formally belong to the prime minister, but he and his family regularly reside their, judging by geotags added to his photographs on Instagram, Navalny says.
According to Natalia Timakova, Medvedev’s spokesperson, the prime minister has never owned or rented living space at Milovka manor, though she confirmed that he has stayed at the house before, which is ostensibly why the compound has a special communications tower.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
